Leader of Opposition Vijayakanth, whose DMDK had allied with AIADMK to sweep the elections in Tamil Nadu last year, was today unceremoniously evicted from the Assembly along with his party MLAs after he had sparred with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The en masse eviction came at the end of a one-on-one passage at arms between the two over the recent hike in bus fares and milk prices that soon triggered a clash between members of the two sides leading to noisy scenes.

The AIADMK chief slammed Vijayakanth for his "lowly act" as he made some gestures at treasury benches and said she regretted joining hands with DMDK for the assembly polls.

Jayalalithaa dubbed Vijayakanth's conduct as "obnoxious" and regretted the tie-up with his party in the assembly polls.

Speaker D Jayakumar referred the behaviour of the opposition to the Privileges Committee.

"The behaviour of the Leader of Opposition was obnoxious and it shows what happens if unqualified persons happen to reach top positions," Jayalalithaa said, in a scathing attack on Vijayakanth, an actor-turned-politician who heads DMDK.

Jayalalithaa said even without DMDK's support, AIADMK would have won April Assembly elections as people had made up their mind to end the DMK regime.

AIADMK and DMDK had parted ways during the civic polls.

Interestingly, DMDK, which had won 29 seats pushing the erstwhile ruling party DMK to the third position, became the main Opposition party and Vijayakanth got the status of Leader of Opposition.

Jayalalithaa said while she was not prepared for an alliance with DMDK, it was fortunate enough to strike a deal with AIADMK helping it to secure 29 seats and the status of the principal opposition party.

"I am ashamed and regret the fact that AIADMK faced the polls with unqualified persons who don't even know how to behave after reaching the top," she said.

Jayalalithaa said though she did not have the "slightest inclination" for the alliance, she had bowed to her partymen's desire for it.

Referring to Vijayakant's conduct during the heated exchange between members of the two parties, she said DMDK's good times "had ended and it will be downslide now on."

She dared Vijaykanth to face her party in the coming Sankarankovil assembly by-election to which he retorted saying it was usual for ruling parties to win bypolls.

Jayalalithaa described the Speaker's action as "minimum" punishment saying their act warranted suspension from the entire session.

The Speaker later ordered eviction of all DMDK members saying their behaviour was not in line with the ethos of the House.

Reacting to the development in the Assembly, DMK President M Karunanidhi had a dig at the AIADMK saying it had its own "unique" way of handling opposition parties.

"AIADMK has its own unique way of handling the opposition parties.That is being followed now also," he said in response to reporters' queries about complaints from opposition MLAs that they were not given adequate time to speak.

He declined to comment on Jayalalithaa's statment that she regretted aligning with DMDK for the April polls, in which DMK was defeated by AIADMK-led combine, comprising DMDK and Left parties besides some other small outfits.